An origin story is an iffy prospect. When crafting a prequel, filmmakers are frequently tempted to do one of two things: (1) populate the story with characters from the later films (i.e., since when did Darth Vader build C-3PO?); or (2) use pop psychology to explain the character's behavior (i.e., Anakin is really upset about Padme). In the first instance, it's still possible to make a good movie with wit and humor, but the second case is almost always problematic. When it comes to the human mind, rarely does a plus b equal c. "Hannibal Rising", the latest and, if there's any justice, last installment in the Hannibal Lecter series traces the origins of everyone's favorite lamb-silencer. And, wouldn't you know it, he had a tough childhood.

Hannibal is quickly orphaned in the opening scenes, then the screenplay by Hannibal creator Thomas Harris - based on the book he released scant months ago - follows the boy from an orphanage to the care of his widowed Japanese aunt (the always-ravishing Gong Li). Along the way, Hannibal develops a thirst to rain vengeance down on the soldiers that killed his baby sister - while also going to med school and learning the culinary arts from a helpful butler. This being a Thomas Harris story, Lecter is must be doggedly trailed by a detective, in this case Inspector Pope (Dominic West) who looks like he has better things to do. Mr. West does much better police work on HBO's "The Wire".

I never thought I'd say this, but "Hannibal Rising" actually made me miss the "Star Wars" prequels. At least those were action-packed. "Rising" drags along as only a film wrapped up in its own sense of importance can. Every scene has the same portentous tone and, while director Peter Webber gives the film a fine look, its lethargic pacing is simply deadly. Then there's the fatal casting of Gaspard Ulliel in the title role. With an accent that brings to mind both Christopher Lambert and Bela Lugosi, the actor is simply out of his depth. Frequently he seems to be smirking for lack of anything else to do. With his sunken cheeks and narrow face, his resemblance is as far removed from Anthony Hopkins as this film is from "Silence of the Lambs".

It's the understatement of the year to say that Lecter was far more interesting before "Rising". One character actually sums up the problem with Mr. Harris' story in a nutshell: a lot of people lost their families horribly in World War II - they didn't all become serial killers. For all its pop psychology there's nothing in "Rising" to truly explain what made Hannibal Hannibal. And that's fine. I don't want to know, I don't need to know. And I was better off before I knew what Mr. Harris thought it was. The fun of Lecter wasn't in imagining what horrible incident from his childhood made him a killer- it was in thinking that nothing unusual caused his behavior. Lecter just is what he is. That's why he's so interesting; he could be any of us. He's that rare villain we're happy to identify with.

In the annals of favorite movie villains, Hannibal Lecter typically goes neck-and-neck with Darth Vader. With "Revenge of the Sith" and "Rising", we now know that our favorite villains of all time … had issues.